Wire-and-picket-fence machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. W. MARTIN.

WIRE AND PIOKET 'FENGE MACHINE. No. 558,504. Patented Apr. 21, 1896.

itZZT/Zj.

ANDREW EGRMMM, FNUTO-UTHU.WASI1INEIDN.D.C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

'J.'W. MARTIN. I WIRE AND PIGKET FENCE MACHINE. No. 558,504. Patented Apr. 21, 1896. Q 272;; Z I

W I Ji'airwz wrz I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEROME IV. MARTIN, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

WlRE-AND-PICKET-FENCE MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 558,504, dated April 21, 1896.

Application filed January 14:, 1896. Serial No. 575,508 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known. that I, JEROME W. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vire-and-Picket- Fence Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, makinga part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The present invention has reference to that class of devices or machines for constructing wire-and-picket fences for which a patent was granted to me bearing date of October 17, 1893, No. 506,826.

It is the object of the invention to improve the construction of such device or machine to enable a perfect securing of the pickets to a main or horizontal wire by means of a twisting wire, which object isattained by a device or machine constructed substantially as shown in the drawings, and hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a perspective View of a wire-and-picket'fence machine constructed in accordance with my invention, the sprocket-chain being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 2, a side elevation of one end of a fence constructed by the machine constituting my invention; Fig. 3, a horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, taken through the twisting device and the post to which said device is connected; Fig. 4, a vertical central section of the twisting device at the lower end of the post, showing the main barbed wire and the twisting wire in dotted lines as extending through the device; Fig; 5, a detail perspective view of aportion of the twisting device; Fig. (i, a similar view of a portion of the sprocket-wheel.

In the accompanying drawings, A B represent two upright posts to which the operating parts of the machine are connected, the former having a base or support 0. The post A is connected with the support 0 by means of a suitable brace-rod D, which may be connected to the post and support in any suitable and well-known manner. I have shown, however, the same means for attaching the bracerod to the post and support as are shown in my former patent; but such means may be variously modified or changed without departing from the principle of my invention, and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

The post A has connected to its sides three sets of bearing-plates a for supporting the spools E, said spools having at one or both ends a flat-sided opening or socket Z) to receive a suitable crank-handle for turning said spools. The bearing-plates and spools are substantially the same in construction as those shown and described in my former patent, and suitable pawls and ratchets may be used with each spool to prevent the spools turning in opposite directions, as in my former patent. As any suitable means may be employed for this purpose, and as the pawls and ratchets are one of many ordinary means to attain this end, further illustration thereof in detail is considered unnecessary.

The tension-heads F, which are similar'in construction to the heads employed in the machine embodied in my previous patent, are connected directly to the post A instead of to a short wire upon the spools.

The tension-heads F have buttons 0 upon their upper side, with which engage the twisting wires, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings.

As will be noticed, the tension-heads are not rigidly connected to the post, but are connected in such a manner as to admit of the heads having a motion in both a lateral direction and up and down on the arc of a circle,

thereby adapting itself to the position of the twisting wire when the machine is in operation.

The means preferably employed for connecting the tension-heads F to the post A consist of the staples d, which pass through the eyes 6 upon the ends of the heads, the staples being securely fastened to the post. This I consider the most simple means of attaining the end desired, although the head may be connected to the post in any other well-known and preferred manner that will admit of the free motion of the head, as hereinbefore described.

The twisting device consists of the cylinders G, having upon its interior projecting lugs f and upon its exterior the circumferential shoulder g. This cylinder G has connected to it a sprocket-wheel H by means of the screw-bolts h and nuts '6, said bolts extending through the lugs f and through the rim of the sprocket-wheel, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. By means of the bolts and nuts a rigid connection is made between the cylinder and sprocket-wheel, so that when the sprocket-wheel is rotated upon its axis the cylinder will be carried around with it to effectthe twisting of the wire. The sprocketwheel H has one or more holes j, through which the twisting wire I extends, the main or horizontal wire K extending through the central opening 76, which is formed with convex walls Z to present less frictional surface to the wire when brought against the same. A bearing-rin g L supports the cylinder G and is formed with a fastening-plate M, to which is bolted a clamping-yoke N by means of the bolts on and nuts or, the yoke embracing the post 13, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, thereby forming a perfect and rigid support for the twisting device. The sprocket-wheel II has lugs 0 upon its inner face, which lugs are diametrically opposite each other and fit in eorrespondingly-formed notches p in the rim of the cylinder G, so that the wheel will be seated in proper position to bring the boltholes in the wheel and the boltholes in the lugs on line with each other and also to take any lateral strain ofif the bolts by transferring it to the lugs during the rotation of the twisting device. The bearing-ring L has shoulders g, which are certain distances apart and extend around both the edges of the bearing-ring L, the purpose of which is to reduce the con tacting or friction surface between the edges of the ring and the shoulder g of the cylinder G and the face of the sprocket-wheel II. That portion of the sprocket-wheel II through which the holes j extend may be made much thicker, as shown at r in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, thereby providing a longer bearing and support for the twisting wire which passes through it.

The several sprocket-wheels are operated by a suitable sprocket-chain engaging therewith, as shown in dotted lines of Fig. 1 of the drawings, and one of the twisting devices with sprocket-wheel may be employed simply as a driving-wheel, as shown at O, a suitable crank-handle P being attached for turning said whee]. If desired, however, a simple sprocket-wheel may be employed as a drivingwheel without having connected thereto the twisting device, as this would perform no function in connection with the sprocket wheel when said wheel is used simply as a driving-wheel. Therefore any suitable construction of sprocket-wheel may be substi' tuted for that shown that will serve the purpose intended.

Vhen the machine is ready for operation, the horizontal or main wires and the twisting wires will be in position, (shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings) the ends of the main wire be ing suitably connected to the spools and the twisting wires engaging with the buttons on the tension devices, as shown. When the wooden pickets are in position and the twisting devices turned throu gh the medium of the sprocket-wheels and chain, the wire I will be twisted around the main or horizontal wire K and around the pickets R, thereby holding said pickets in place on the horizontal or main wires.

I have shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings one end of a wire-and-picket fence as it would appear when constructed by my improved machine, with the exception that the end of the fence willbe strengthened by a diagonal brace S and a diagonal wire cable T, the end post of the fence being shown at U. The main or horizontal wire may be provided with barbs, or be composed of a cable of small wires, and any changes or modifications as would come within ordinary mechanical skill may be made without departing from the principle of my invention.

The shoulders or projections (1 upon the edges of the bearing-ring L form what I term scalloped edges to the ring to decrease the bearing-surface, as hcreinbefore described.

Ilavin g now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fence-machine, a plurality of stationary bearing-rings suitably connected to the post of the machine, twisting-cylinders supported in the rings, said rings having scalloped edges, and sprocket-wheels detachably connected to the cylinders, the wheels upon their inner sides having enlargements and holes therethrough for the passage of the twisting wires, and lugs to engage with notches on the cylinders, and means for operating the sprocket-wheels, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a fence-machine, stationary bearingrings, notched twisting-cylinders supported thereby, detachable sprocket wheels provided with enlargements upon their inner sides and holes therethrough for the passage of the twisting wires and lugs to engage with the notches on the cylinders, a plurality of spools for attaching thereto the main wires, a plurality of tension devices having buttons for connecting therewith the twisting wires, said tension devices being connecteddirectly with the post of the machine as shown whereby the same will have a free motion to adapt them.- selves to the position of the twisting wires when the machine is in motion, substantially as and for the purpose set forth..

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JEROME W. MARTIN.

'itnesses:

ALEX. J. STEUART, (-ino. M. COPENHAVER. 

